Malaysia’s pace of economic growth likely picked up in the first quarter of this year, on resurgent exports and strong domestic demand, a Reuters poll showed. The median forecast from 12 economists surveyed was for annual growth in January-March of 4.8%, up from 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016. If the rate tops 4.5%, the latest quarter will be the third with quickening expansion. Forecasts from the economists ranged between 4.4 and 5.2%. Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s third largest economy, has been buoyed by strong exports and resilient private consumption since July-September, when it snapped a five-quarter period of declining growth.
